Pastor's Message
From My Heart
It is the love month, so let me tell you a love story. This story takes place on a bus. I have been helping to pick up kids on buses for over 40 years (thank you to Tim Parker for helping for 10 of those years), so I think the location is appropriate.
This story could be about the caring love we feel for little children. Little kids are so cute that it is hard not to love them. I think God created them that was on purpose. On the bus I served on in high school, we picked up a 4 year old girl named Tiffany who was a 10 on the cute scale. She looked like a Disney princess which was appropriate because as her mail box proclaimed, her Dad's name was Donald Duck. Tiffany was well taken care of by her Duck parents, she boarded the bus every Sunday in a cute dress with her hair done up fancy. Everybody ooohed and ahhhed as this little beauty queen climbed on the bus. She was quiet, well mannered and everybody fought over who got to sit next to Tiffany.
This story could also be about our Bus Captain and my buddy Dave. Dave loved his Savior and his ministry on the bus was an expression of that love. He was a great example as a teenager and he still is as a man. When you love Jesus, you find some way to serve him and Dave served him and he still does.
This story could also be about romantic love. Dave recruited everyone who worked on his bus, which included me, a boy named Gary, a couple of junior highers, and his prize recruit Linda. Linda was Dave's not so sweet crush. For years, Dave was sure that Linda was the one. He talked about her all the time and he was sure that in time God would bring them together. But for Dave it was never to be, just like Charlie Brown and the little red-haired girl; Dave's dream never came true.
This love story is about Linda and the fellow that she gave her heart to. He as a young man who had thick dark hair, wore even thicker glasses and was 4 years old. We met this little boy on the same bus route that picked up little Tiffany. If Tiffany had the cute factor, this young man had the eek factor. He was always well dressed and clean when we picked him up, but he didn't stay that way. Two abilities that this boy had were to drool and to have the world's worst runny nose. After a few minutes on the bus, he was a big sticky mess, I have no idea how he ever saw out of those big glasses once the drooling started. We started to bring a roll of paper towels each week just to minimize the spillage.
Everybody was nice to the boy, we spoke to him, we smiled at him, but everybody stayed about 5 feet away. Everybody stayed away, but Linda. Each week she sat with him to and from church. She talked with him, laughed with him, and gave the gooey mess a hug just before he got off the bus.
I last saw my buddy Dave when I went home to help supervise the movers as they emptied my parent's house back in 2009. Dave and I had dinner together and talked about old times. You know what, Dave still talks about Linda. That got me to thinking and wondering if somewhere there is a young man with real thick hair and even thicker glasses who still thinks about her too.
Acts of love and kindness are hard to forget. Acts of love shape our lives, give us hope, and open our hearts to our Savior. If you know Jesus, it is probably because someone loved you in Jesus' name. Maybe it was a Sunday School Teacher or an RA leader like Mr. Ryan, but someone shared their love with you and suddenly life was never the same.
Jesus gave us a simple command; love one another as I have loved you. It is a simple command with a powerful impact; if we love then they will believe!
I hope to see you Sunday as we begin the Love Olympic. Don't forget to sign up for the Valentine Banquet and Talent Show!
In His Love
Bro. John
The Pastor's message is a regular part of our monthly church bulletin. To obtain a complete copy of a bulletin click on the desired Month below. (Note: You must have a copy of Adobe Reader to view or print these documents.)
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